Artificial revegetation

Mesquite sandhill artificial revegetation enclosure. Mesquite sandhill area in which the mesquite plants, which are comparatively worthless as forage, have been cut and the brush there from scattered in the nearly barren areas (blowouts) between dunes. This cutting and scattering of brush produces several results that favor natural revegetation of the depleted lands. The brush piles serve as barriers (comparable to snow fences) to catch the wind-moved sand and seeds of the valuable forage plant chamisa, thus providing an effective shelter or haven for germination of these seeds. Cutting the mesquite also opens up the dunes so that the chamisa plants that exist thereon can make a more vigor growth and produce more seed for natural reseeding. All this will eventually increase the carrying capacity of these lands many times. Original Photo Number 333010.